A Work in Progress….

Genesis 26:17 So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar, where he settled. 

Verses 14 & 15 tell us that the Philistines envied Isaac because he was so richly blessed by the Lord. As a result of that envy, the Philistines stopped up Isaac’s wells, wells that had been dug by his father Abraham, wells that were expensive and laborious to dig, wells that were absolutely necessary to the life of both humans and animals. Envy is an ugly beast.

Genesis 26:18 Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.

Revenge is also an ugly beast, but Isaac didn’t choose that path. He decided to “move away from there” (v17), to trust that God would provide, to trust that God would defend, to put in the hard work of redigging the sabotaged wells of his father, to put in the work and to trust and to live instead of investing his time in getting even with those who had wronged him.

Genesis 26:19 Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there.

Precious Savior, Forgive us that often our first thoughts after being wronged are about seeking revenge. Help us, instead, to seek You, to glorify You, to trust You, to obey You, to put in the work and to trust and to live instead of investing our time in revenge on those who have wronged us. Help us, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 26:20 But the herders of Gerar quarreled with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 26:12 Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him.  

The expression “I am so blessed” really bothers me. I think the reason it does is that we are all blessed, daily, lavishly, in a multitude of ways, yet it is so very easy to overlook those blessings when we are focused on disappointments, heartaches, hopes for the future. Sometimes we overlook what’s right under our noses. I know I do.

Genesis 26:13-14 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. 

I guess instead of spouting off about “blessings,” I feel like what I should be doing is showing my gratitude, showing my thankfulness to the Giver of all blessings. I woke up this morning. Thank You, Jesus. I can move without significant pain. Thank You, Jesus. I have a beautiful family whom I love dearly (even when they pluck my last nerve…because they are human as I am). Thank You, Jesus.

Genesis 26:15 So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the multitude of blessings that You lavish on me daily. Forgive me when I get so focused on wants and hopes and disappointments that I fail to see the blessings that You provide. Help me, daily, to count those blessings, to give You praise and glory, to show my gratitude, my thankfulness. I’m not worthy, Lord. I can never be worthy. Thank You for loving me fiercely and completely anyway. Amen.

Genesis 26:16 Then Abimelek said to Isaac, “Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.”

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 26:7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”

A phrase from commentary jumped out at me this morning, “sin can follow upon an outpouring of God’s blessing.” That line reminded me of a church sign I’ve seen before, which truly bothers me: “When all else fails, pray.” The two quotes, in my mind, are closely linked.

Genesis 26:8 When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. 

When God showers us with blessings, many of us eventually get complacent with our prayers of thanks. We start to see the blessings as our due. Maybe we grumble when the blessings aren’t flowing. But prayer should never be reserved for “when all else fails.” Prayer should be a daily conversation, as ingrained in us and as natural to us as breathing.

Genesis 26:9 So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.”

Precious Savior, Forgive me that prayer is not my default, is not as natural to me as breathing. Help me to view prayer and to practice prayer as the lifeline that it is. Help me to lay everything before You–my worries and fears, my praise and thanksgiving, my random musings and observations. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 26:10-11 Then Abimelek said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” So Abimelek gave orders to all the people: “Anyone who harms this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 26:1 Now there was a famine in the land—besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar.  

Today’s scripture is an interesting look at connections made through stream-of-consciousness thought. Commentary says of Isaac’s situation: “Though Isaac lived in the land God promised to his father Abraham and his descendants, it did not mean that life in the land would be without trouble or challenge.” The reminder of  “trouble or challenge” brought to mind a poem by Annie Johnson Flynt, entitled “What God Hath Promised.”

Genesis 26:2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live.

The last stanza of that poem reads: “But God hath promised strength for the day,/Rest for the labor, light for the way,/Grace for the trials, help from above,/Unfailing sympathy, undying love.” God promised never to leave us, never to forsake us. So no matter what dark and winding road you are currently on, He is with you, right beside you, holding you, carrying you, loving you. Even now.

Genesis 26:3 Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for this reminder that You are with us always. When life is going sideways, what I want is for You to make it stop. That’s not what You promise. You promise never to leave me, never forsake me. I don’t always understand Your ways, Lord, but I understand Your presence. Thank You. Amen.

Genesis 26:4-6 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions.” So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 25:29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 

My first thought when I read today’s verses is Esau’s comment about being “about to die” is said because he is so very hungry. Commentary says that the comment shows his lack of regard for the spiritual (and physical, I suppose) inheritance of his birthright.  Life is short. He’ll die at the end of it. What does he care about birthrights?

Genesis 25:30-31 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”

Truly, though, Esau is guilty of something we all are guilty of at times–providing for his physical wants and needs without being concerned about the spiritual. Esau is hungry right now. There is stew right there. Who cares about anything other than this current need/want/desire that can be so easily fulfilled?

Genesis 25:32-33 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

Precious Savior, It’s easy to sit in judgment, to armchair quarterback what other people do, should do, should have done. Help us to be more concerned with our own lives, our own spiritual growth and  health. Help us to think further than our immediate desires and comfort and to consider our eternal health as well. Amen.

Genesis 25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 25:24-25 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. 

Once again, I am scratching my head a bit at a “key Biblical figure.” I’m familiar with Bible stories, of course. I’ve heard the stories of Esau and Jacob. But somehow I always forget the bit about Jacob’s cunning and trickery. Those don’t seem like key descriptors for an important Biblical patriarch to me.

Genesis 25:26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

How is it that I keep forgetting how incredibly human and fallible and messy are these folks that God keeps using, and uses mightily for His work? Is it because when I originally learned about them as a youth, I was told (or told myself?) that God only uses those who are perfect? No way he could use me with all my flaws?

Genesis 25:27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents.

Precious Savior, Thank You for reminding me that Your Son is the only perfect one among humans. The rest of us are varying degrees of hot mess. And yet, You can and will and do use us, even in our messiness, but only if we allow. Help me to get out of Your way, to allow You to use me as Your hands and feet in this world that so desperately needs You. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 25:28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 25:19-20 This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean.

Isaac is the chosen son of Abraham. However, even Isaac and Rebekah had to wait 20 years for the fulfillment of their dream to have children. That’s a long time. I would have figured this child of promise would have had everything in life as soon as he thought of it.

Genesis 25:21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 

That thought is rather ridiculous, I know. I’ve seen God work through the waiting. I’ve seen how faith is shaped and strengthened when “Not yet,” “Not like this,” “My plans, not yours” is the answer. It can be difficult and frustrating, but trust grows, as long as we keep our hearts focused on Him, our minds rooted in Him.

Genesis 25:22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.

Precious Savior, Forgive me when I get so wrapped up in my plans, my ways, my dreams that I get ahead of You, that I forget that I am here to praise You, worship You, shine Your light. Help me to be so deeply rooted in You that Your will IS my will. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 25:23 The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 25:12-15 This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham. These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. 

Commentary says that Ishmael was a blessed man, even though he did not receive the Abrahamic covenant. I wonder if he felt that blessedness. Or was he so focused on the one thing he did not get–Abraham’s blessing, Abraham’s legacy–that he could not even see, could not appreciate the many blessings in his life.

Genesis 25:16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps. 

I know I’m guilty of getting so focused on the one thing I wanted that I didn’t get that I sometimes lose sight of all the many blessings that I do have. It’s a pretty human trait, unfortunately, one I’m still trying to figure out how to overcome, though I’m better now than I was.

Genesis 25:17 Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for the many, many blessings in our lives. Forgive us when we get so focused on the things we wanted and didn’t get that we forget to praise You for all the blessings You shower on us lavishly. Help us to praise You, even when we are disappointed. Help us to praise You, even when Your answer is no. Help us, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 25:18 His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward all the tribes related to them.

Have a blessed day.

Genesis 25:5-7 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east. Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.

Abraham was not a perfect man, but the Bible and commentary both say he was a good man, a godly man, a man worth emulating. And once again, I am reminded that my idea of who God uses in the Bible is incredibly faulty. I still have a hard time squaring the fact that Abraham, fallible, faulty, human Abraham, is God’s righteous one.

Genesis 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.

Ultimately, it’s a good thing, this change in what I thought I knew. It means that God can use me, too–even with my messiness, my faults, my fallibility. It means that the fact that I’m not perfect, that I’m so very far from perfect doesn’t keep God from being able to use me if I will allow. Perfection is not a job requirement. In fact, I’m pretty sure perfection would make you unsuitable as God’s hands and feet.

Genesis 25:9-10 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 

Precious Savior, Even now, even after all my reading and studying, I am still surprised that Your people, the people You use, the people You call, aren’t perfect. They are human, messy, fallible. That fact brings me comfort, but I’m having trouble letting go of that paradigm. Help me–to let go of a false truth and to open myself up to being used as Your hands in feet wherever You need me. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 25:11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi. 

Have a blessed day.